Uponor North America held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the official opening of its ninth expansion in Apple Valley, MN, and the 11th in the greater Twin Cities area.

Gov. Mark Dayton, along with several political and community leaders, was in attendance for the May 16 ribbon-cutting ceremony. Governor Dayton spoke of the importance of new job growth in Minnesota.

“It's a great moment for all of you on the Uponor team. Thank you very much for your commitment to Minnesota,” said Governor Dayton. “This is what makes Minnesota successful — entrepreneurs and those of you executives who have a commitment to our state, to locate and expand here.”

The $18 million expansion adds an additional 90,000 sq ft for lean manufacturing, office space, and additional manufacturing equipment for producing crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) pipe used in plumbing, radiant heating/cooling, and fire safety systems.

With this expansion, the North American headquarters in Apple Valley, along with the company's distribution center and resin-processing center in nearby Lakeville, brings the total Twin Cities metro area footprint to 656,738 sq ft on approximately 50 acres. The new facility will provide 82 new jobs to the local economy.

“While this is our latest expansion, it is certainly not our last,” said Bill Gray, president of Uponor North America. “We are grateful to the State of Minnesota and the leaders of this local community for their support as we continue to grow.”